We have always been really strict with our girls about sleeping. Not only do we always make them take naps, but they are not allowed to talk or play in their beds. I think there are many naps now that they just lay quietly and hold the animals in their bed, but I don't know for sure, because I don't hear them. The biggest rule of them all, though, is STAY IN YOUR BED. We drilled this in them when we were moving to big girl beds. They are not allowed to get out for any reason. I come get them when it is time to get up in the morning and after nap.
So this theory began to get tested as the girls have gotten older. They both potty trained at 21 months, but the overnite thing has taken a while. When Carly stopped wetting her trainers at night, she never needed to get up in the middle of the night. She went from going in her trainers to not; no transition. Well, Joiner took much longer to recognize that she needed to go potty at night. After she started waking up to go, we realized that she would not be able to go all night. This is completely understandable; it is 10-11 hours at a time. I certainly don't go that long. I told Joiner to call me when she needed to go and I would come get her. So 3-4 times a week, she would start yelling in the middle of the night and I would jerk awake and come get her, take her to the potty, and put her back in bed. I wasn't really bothered by the situation and Carly would sleep right through it. As I got more and more pregnant with Bennett, I realized there was a flaw. Andy. He claimed he never heard Joiner yelling. So, I knew I would be downstairs with Bennett at first and wouldn't hear Joiner. How traumatic that she would yell out and no one would come. So I started hitting him (literally) when I would go get her so he had some negative reinforcement and would wake up. It worked. While I was downstairs with newborn Bennett, he got her all but one time and I happened to hear the excessive calling.
Now, I am back upstairs and we realized a few weeks ago that Joiner has started waking up Carly with the calling. We also have had Bennett get a little restless when she is yelling. So to the girls' great delight, we decided that they could get up when they need to go potty and take themselves. Andy asked them to just come tell us that they are going so that we know what is happening. They were so thrilled.
The first night, I was sure that they would both be up minutes after we put them to bed, but apparently we threatened them enough with abusing the privilege that they went right to sleep. About 2am, we both hear the loud pop of their door (we have an old house) and the door slam against the wall as it is thrown open. Then we hear feet running down the hall to our room. Then in a VERY LOUD whisper/ yell Joiner whispers "I'm goin' potty." We both are laughing hysterically. I made the error of getting up to give her a kiss and take her back to bed. She looked at me horrified and told me to go back to bed.
The next night we told her that we would rather she come in and touch us gently and tell us quietly that she is going. It has worked great ever since:)
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